'Baby brain' may gestate with power of suggestion
NATASHA WALLACE It is not unusual for new mothers or women in late pregnancy to miss an important appointment or get lost while driving in their own neighbourhood. Any woman who has recently given birth can likely tell you a bizarre instance of absent-mindedness.
Handy way to calm baby
EMMA SPILLETT Learning the ins and outs of infant massage may be the way to soothe an unsettled baby.
Developmental milestones: the first six months
It is important to realise that babys' developmental progress varies greatly. Some children may miss out on developmental milestones all together - such as crawling.
Month by month
Baby's first month: development, medical and sleep
BROOKE WELLS Congratulations you have a brand new addition to your family! Whether it is your first or fifth plenty of Mums can't remember exactly what's it's like to have newborn, so find out about baby's first month on Essential Baby.
Baby's first month: breastfeeding
BROOKE WELLS Breastfeeding is often the first real challenge mothers face with their newborns. Rest assured there is plenty of advice and help to encourage and support you with this important job.
Baby's second month: development, medical and sleep
BROOKE WELLS Early experiences are significant in shaping babies minds. A baby can begin to communicate as early as two months and will be able to smile and coo although crying is still his main form of expressing their needs.
Baby's second month: SIDS
BROOKE WELLS There is no known reason for SIDS but it is believed to be related to a baby’s inability to wake up when breathing irregularly, as part of a larger defect of the arcuate nucleus in the brain or elsewhere in the body that goes undetected.
Baby's third month: development, medical and sleep
BROOKE WELLS Setting aside time a couple of times each day to have fun with your baby is important both for your baby’s development and for your relationship with your baby.
Baby's third month: routines
BROOKE WELLS A structured routine is not the same thing as a schedule. A schedule is about time slots whereas routine is about keeping up the same daily pattern and repeating that pattern every day.
Baby's fourth month: development, medical and sleep
BROOKE WELLS By the age of four months, your baby will be able to follow a moving object with her eyes and look around and smile at people she sees frequently.
Baby's fourth month: delayed development
BROOKE WELLS In most instances, babies reach each developmental milestones like rolling over, sitting, walking, and talking right around the expected time, and if they don't they catch up soon.
Baby's fifth month: development, medical and sleep
BROOKE WELLS Your baby will still be learning hand-eye co-ordination and will use his mouth to explore objects
Baby's fifth month: teething
BROOKE WELLS Tooth eruption rate is hereditary so if you or your baby’s father had teeth come in early or late, this is a good indication of how your own baby’s teeth will come in.
Baby's sixth month: development, medical and sleep
BROOKE WELLS Your baby might have realised that he can use rolling as a way to transport himself, or he may skip it altogether and move on to sitting, lunging, and crawling.
Baby's sixth month: weaning
BROOKE WELLS There are a number of signs your baby will give you when they are ready to be weaned and start eating solids including showing a curiousity in food, chewing or lipsmacking.
From a mother's point of view...
Amity Dry's blog
What it means to be Mum
AMITY DRY Being a mum is such a uniting force, it is the ultimate common ground. It doesn’t matter what your background is, what your current or previous career was, what your income, where you live or what your life choices are – once you’re a mum we are all inherently the same.
Kylie Orr's blog
Birth choices: women vs medical fraternity
KYLIE ORR I’ve had three babies. All different models of care and all individual experiences with varying outcomes. Well, they were all babies not assorted jungle creatures, so in that sense, the end product was the same.
Feature member
Four babies, four very different births
NICOLE SALINAS It’s quite a common assumption that if you have one type of birth then your subsequent births may be fairly similar. For Essential Baby member Sylvia this certainly wasn't the case.
From a father's point of view...
Dad's Diary blog
A tourist on the birth canal
JOSEPH KELLY I have often heard from members of my parent’s generation how refreshing it is to see men nowadays involved in all aspects of child raising. But there are still parts of the parenting puzzle that remain a complete mystery even to the most sensitive of new-age men.
Are babies boring?
JOSEPH KELLY So it looked like I was in danger of becoming a dreaded Bad Parent. If things kept going the way they were we were about to become a divided household, split into the Maisie Lobby and the Frances Lobby.
Oral health for babies and toddlers
To raise awareness about the importance of caring for your baby’s oral health from the moment they are born, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) has launched a website to assist parents with tips on preventative oral care for babies and toddlers.
Understanding your baby's brain
Many parents understandably assume that a new born baby is simply a blank slate that requires us to do everything for them and that they really are incapable of anything other than crying, drinking and sleeping or not, as the case may be!
Five myths about motherhood
I see a number of women in my private practice who have moved from full-time work into full-time motherhood. Let's face it, it's a big transition and we aren't always well prepared for it. Motherhood is joyous and it's also hard work.
